Press Release - Transcript of Senator Cynthia Villar's interview at Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, July July 31, 2024

Transcription ng Forum Part

ATTY LINA: Ano po ba ang nagbunsud sa inyo, yung pong mga reclamation proj ay matindi ninyong tinutulan?

SCAV: Magandang umaga pa sa ating mga kaibigan, sa ating mga kaibigan sa media , former senator Joey Lina, Sonny Coloma.

Yung area namin medyo special kasi meron kaming Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park. It is a legislated protected area based on a legislation i passed in 2018. But before that on 2017 dineclare na rin yan in a presidential decree as a protected area pero hindi legislated. In 2013 hayun na declare as one of the most important wetlands in the world according to the RAMSAR agreement signed in Iran in 1970 with the Philippines as signatory.

Pag nalagay ka doon sa Ramsar List your government is mandate to protect you. Eh nalagay kami nun 2013 sa Ramsar List and there are only 8 in the Philippines; Olango Island in Cebu, Agusan Marsh, Tubbataha Reef, Palawan underground river, Nauajan lake and kami ang number six. Out of the 8 kami lang nasa metro manila. The last two would be Negross Occidental Wetland and Sasmuan wetland. So walo lang kami and the government is mandated to protect us kasi we are wetlands of international importance declared by the Ramsar.

In 2018 na pass ko po yung eNipas Act which is consisted of 94 protected areas in the Philippines and one of that is the Las Pinas Paranaque Wetland Park. Inaalagan po namin kasi sa left ng paranaque wetland park ay lumalabas po doon ang aming apat na river. Sa Left yung tatlo; Molino River of Bacoor; Zapote River of Las PInas; Las PInas River of Las PInas. and on the other side sa right would the Paranaque River. So it affects the Parañaque, Bacoor, and Las PInas which has a 2 million population so importatnte po sa amin na lumabas doon ang tubig na galing sa aming river kasi noong 2015 ay sinabihan na po ako ni Secretary Babes Singson, siya noon ang secretary ng DPWH. Sinabihan niya kami na senador 'wag nyo hayaang mag reclaim kasi babaha kayo ng 6-8 meters pag nasarhan yan ang inyong apat na river.

So mula noon po ay hindi na ako tumigil, and we started this pa in 2000 yung wetland park na yun ay nadeclare na unconstitutional ng Supreme Court yung PEA-Amari. And